When visions of sugar plums danced in their heads

Ten days out from Christmas and I'm trying to answer the age-old question, "What is a sugar plum?" I'm 64 years old and for the past 60 years when reading or listening to Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas", I always had an idea what a sugar plum looked like, kind of like a candied fruit.

It's a sweet plum, right? Hmm, not really. Referencing sweets historian Laura Mason's account found in an article in The Atlantic, sugar plums were well known to Englishmen between the 17th-19th century as a sweet made of sugar, also referred to as "comfit". To put you in the picture, take some caraway or cardamom seeds, or you may prefer almonds. Then, wrap a coating of sugar around the seeds, hardening it as you add each layer. Think of a modern day "jawbreaker" with seeds in the middle.

So, there's no fruit involved at all? Interesting. I know there's a history of children receiving fruit, mostly navel oranges, as a Christmas present, so I just assumed fruit was involved in the Christmas Story. Come to think of it, a nice juicy orange would've been a pleasant surprise on a cold wintry day.

And, isn't that same element of surprise a part of the fun when receiving and opening a Christmas parcel? What's inside?

Back in the beginning of the tradition of gift giving (mid-late 19th century in America), shop keepers targeted the public at Christmas time suggesting, "What are gifts but the proof and signs of love?".

In my historical fiction, "Oh! Susannah", I chose the Christmas of 1861 (Chapter 17) to describe what times were like back then at this time of year. For one, it was the first December since 1851 that Susannah had not been pregnant or sick. Secondly, her children were coming of age to appreciate the efforts their mother would've taken to provide them the best Christmas ever. It helped that Susannah was a weaver and was able to make clothes, especially for her daughters. These homemade gifts held more sentimental value to folks then the advertised store-bought ones.

Along with knitted mittens, Susannah's children received rag dolls and underwear as their presents. Looking back when as a child myself, who didn't receive underwear as a present wrapped under the tree? In our family, my sisters and I would have our "stash" of presents in front of us. We soon learned that each parcel did not contain a sugar plum. There were socks and clothes, and woolen hats, house slippers, and yes, underwear - every year! Don't get me wrong. My parents made sure there were a couple gifts that would take our fancy and occupy our attention for days or weeks to come - toys, bikes, games etc.

However, Christmas isn't all about receiving, but more importantly, the act of giving. In my historical fiction, while preparing her children's Christmas gifts, Susannah spares a thought for her brother Sam and his wife who had recently lost two of their children from diptheria. She also laments in the story for those less well-off families living around her who could surely use "the gift of her knitting". Would not a knitted blanket be received as a sugar plum to one in need?

Yesterday, my father-in-law passed away. For a slightly-built man, I was surprised at the heavy bulkiness of his winter coats, and so many of them! This weekend, my wife and I will be paying a visit to our local Haven Of Rest homeless shelter. We've got some sugar plums to deliver. May I suggest to my readers that you do a quick check of your storage closets as well, just to see if there might be a couple sugar plums hiding in there too.